Updated 12:10 pm, Tuesday, April 19, 2011

FAIRFIELD -- A New Canaan woman was charged with breach of peace Saturday night after she allegedly fought with her boyfriend's ex-wife outside of the Fairfield police headquarters around 9 p.m.

The girlfriend, Eustathi Kontarines, 38 , allegedly accompanied the man when the former couple was trading custody of their two children (6 and 8 years old). An officer working the front desk at police headquarters, 100 Reef Road, spotted an altercation erupt outside and went to break it up. He also called a patrol officer for assistance.

Kontarines claimed that while her boyfriend was exchanging custody of the children, Laura Ruffin, 34, of Stratford attacked her while she was sitting in a vehicle. She claimed she was spat on, cursed at and pulled out of the vehicle by her hair. Ruffin gave a different account of events. She said she approached her ex-husband's, not realizing the girlfriend was in the car, was attacked by the girlfriend.

Ruffin claimed she had to pull Kontarines' hair to avoid being hurt.

Related Stories

Kontarines' had injuries to her right hand, head and neck, while Ruffin cut her right hand. Each woman was charged with breach of peace and released on a promise to appear April 26 in Bridgeport Superior Court.

Police Lt. Jim Perez said formerly involved couples that share custody rights often meet at shopping center lots, or bookstores, to swap the children. When relations are bad, father and mother may meet at a police department, "usually to avoid what happened in this case," he said.

"It just goes to show you how overbearing the emotions can be in a custody battle," he said.